Report: Google to invest $1 billion in Thailand to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence in Asia

Global tech giant Google announced plans to invest $1 billion in Thailand to establish advanced data centers, strengthening its cloud computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure in Southeast Asia.

Google's data centers will be located in Bangkok and Chonburi Province. According to Deloitte's research, this investment is expected to create 14,000 job opportunities annually for Thailand in the next five years, potentially contributing up to $4 billion in economic growth by 2029.

This investment plan by Google, announced in collaboration with Thailand's newly appointed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, demonstrates the efforts of Southeast Asian governments to attract foreign tech companies. Southeast Asia, with a population of approximately 675 million, is rapidly becoming a new battleground for tech giants. Companies like Apple, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Amazon are actively investing billions of dollars in countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia to build artificial intelligence data centers.

Ruth Porat, Chief Financial Officer of Google's parent company Alphabet, mentioned in an email, "We are investing in building cloud service regions, data centers, and undersea cables across the region, continuing our efforts over the years to bring cloud infrastructure closer to local people and organizations. This region has enormous growth potential."

Google has already announced multi-billion dollar investment plans in Malaysia and Singapore this year. Amazon announced a $9 billion investment plan in Singapore in May, while Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella unveiled a plan involving around $4 billion in expenditures for building data centers and other infrastructure during his tour of Southeast Asia.

Governments worldwide are striving to find a balance between upholding digital sovereignty and attracting foreign investment. Their goal is to protect citizen data, nurture local tech companies, and leverage the investments and expertise of global corporations to develop artificial intelligence and cloud computing infrastructure.

The new data center in Thailand will support Google's AI services, including search engines, map services, and workspace. Since entering the Thai market 13 years ago, Google has trained over 3.6 million students, educators, developers, and small businesses in the past five years, helping them enhance their digital skills.

Paetongtarn stated in a declaration that Google's investment aligns with Thailand's cloud policy, accelerating the development of innovative digital services and stimulating economic opportunities